The story of us
by blahblahblah97
Summary: "The 1920's: the decade of glamour and decadence. It was decade I watched you die for the second time." Caroline feels like she's met Klaus before. The thing is? She has. The catch? It was in the 1920's. AU. M for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Soooooo...hey there peeps! This is a really bad idea to be writing and posting stuff when you have your first GCSE in three days. D: Don't be like me, kids. I don't advise it to anybody. So this is probably the last story or part of one I'll be posting for a while, because, as I just said, I have GCSE's. Like, now. So my last one is on the 7****th****, but it could be a while after that because THEN I have a controlled assessment to prepare for. But after that, I can relax, chill, write loads, stalk people on Instagram and Tumblr, drink loads of tea, read glossy magazines, hang out with friends and watch loads of movies. I live a lazy life, what can I say. But anyway, onto the story. So this is AU PLOT WISE. The setting is the same eg characters personality, and it goes around the episode 'do not go gentle.' I've had the idea for this for a while with my highly over active imagination. I basically got the idea from in 'dangerous liaisons' when Caroline tells Klaus she is Miss Mystic and he goes 'I know.' Squee. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it. And I am a really indecisive writer sometimes, I've started writing more to this but I don't know if I should. So please message or review or whatever and tell me what you'd like! **

**And I'd just like to say that, as a reader myself, I can never work up the nerve to talk to fellow writers. So, please, if you want to talk, say hi! Leave a message! I'm a friendly person, I don't bite and I swear I'm house trained. I pinky promise. :p (I don't talk to a lot of people on the internet...I tend to sound crazy.)**

**So, anyway, enjoy! **

_Pretty girl is suffering,  
while he confesses everything  
Pretty soon she'll figure out  
what his intentions were about_

**- Sugarcult, Pretty Girl**

Something hadn't been right. She'd felt..._something _when she met Klaus. Something other than hatred, disgust and annoyance. She'd made it pretty clear from her face she did not approve or condone what he was going to do with Tyler. When it came to her emotions, she was always an open book. Everything she felt comes through her facial expressions. But when she saw him, something haunted her. Caroline thought she'd maybe imagined it, or it was a trick of the light, but she'd watched his eyes flicker, showing years worth of memories and stories had. She'd looked into those eyes when he was telling her the most wonderful things, and she saw sadness in his eyes. Regret. And his eyes held a love for her that she didn't understand or see at the time.

It confused the hell out of her. Her feelings confused the hell out of her. She loved Tyler, she did, but when she thought of Klaus, her heart clenched painfully and her head started hurting. Because it made no sense. But that was how it was.

But she didn't love him. No, she _loved _Tyler. She _loved _Elena and Bonnie. She _loved _cute puppies. And she _hated_arrogant boys.

So she was at this stupid twenties dance which, she hated to admit, but it was a decent idea. The lights were twinkling; the students were all dressed up as flappers and mob bosses and everything was going swimmingly. She had been dancing with Matt and Tyler, then Bonnie and Elena, heck even Stefan got dragged in. Of course, she'd felt his eyes burning into the back of her head everywhere she went. She was dancing with Tyler, but he wasn't much of a dancer anyway. He kept standing on her feet and fumbling, but she didn't care, she was having fun and she loved him, she chanted to herself. She felt a voice niggling in the back of her head, _'Klaus is a much better dancer'_

_Shut up, _she told herself. _Who do you think you are anyway?_

_Um, you._

Right.

Caroline Forbes was officially driving herself crazy.

Tyler was attempting to spin her round, and she took in the decorations and the people and then she saw Klaus but it wasn't really him, it was Nik.

Something hit her like a tonne of bricks and she saw flashes of colour and beautiful clothes and people dancing and Klaus but it wasn't here. And she saw someone else familiar too, someone that scared her. Caroline started to feel claustrophobic as she stumbled back, coming out of the spin. "I-I'm going to get a drink." She muttered quickly to Tyler and she all but ran out of the auditorium. She kept going down a few more corridors, and finally came to a trembling halt. She leant against a cold brick wall, and bent double; breathing heavily. Of course, he followed her. "Leaving the party so soon, Love?" Klaus mocked. Caroline straightened.

"I just," she began, dazed, "I just needed some space. Lots of people there." She breathed, everything seemed like it was tilted. "How did you know where I was?"

"Well, I have been at this school more than once, haven't I?" he asked rhetorically. There was a silence, and then he asked the dreaded question. "Are you alright? You left in a hurry." He stated.

_Ah, _she thought. _The dreaded hour is nigh. _Caroline glared at him. "I'm fine. It's none of your business." She snapped. Klaus held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, sweetheart. Alright. I'll go then. Wouldn't want to miss the party." He rolled his eyes. Klaus started down the hallway, and Caroline burst out "Why do I feel like I've been here before?" Klaus stopped, but turned around and laughed. "Maybe because this is your school. I hear you have to be in the building to attend."

"That's not what I mean and you know it!" Caroline hissed at him. "Why do I feel like I've, I've dance like this before. Like...I was in the 20's." She finished quietly, feeling stupid. Klaus smiled patiently at her, as if she was an entertaining pet. "I suppose my sister got it quiet accurate. Maybe you just feel the same atmosphere." He shrugged casually. Caroline couldn't see that his muscles were rigid as iron. Klaus started down the corridor again, and Caroline finally built up the courage to yell, "Why do I look like her?" Loudly at Klaus, who was about to turn the corner. No one heard her through the pounding music coming from the auditorium. Klaus stopped; his back to her. "What?"

"Why, do, I, look, like, her."* Caroline stressed slowly and deliberately. Klaus shook his head.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about." Klaus replied, still not turned around.

"Okay, let's cut the crap. I look like her." She stated. "And don't give me the 'you look like your relatives' crap, because I look exactly like her. Why?" She asks, gritting her teeth. Klaus turned around to her.

"Who are you talking about Caroline?" Klaus asked; bored.

"You know who I'm freaking talking about. So don't fucking bullshit me. Who is she?"

"You already know the answer, Caroline." He said sadly.

Caroline shook her head slowly. "No. I don't know anything."

Klaus strode over to her; his dark fedora fluttering slowly to the ground. "Yes, you do. You've know since you've met me. Caroline, I know you felt something for me before you got to know me."

"No I didn't," Caroline whispered weakly. "I love Tyler."

"No, you think you love him. It's silly infatuation." Klaus said angrily, his eyes darkening.

"I don't have to defend myself to you." Caroline said bluntly. "Who is she?" Caroline demanded.

"She's you." Klaus said gently.

"No, it's not." Caroline denied; her eyes wide.

"Yes it is. You know it. That is you Caroline. Caroline Forbes, in 1923."

"That's not possible. I- I saw you. I saw _her_." Caroline accused. He was playing some sick game with her. He had to be. "I didn't want it to happen like this," Klaus said, his voice displaying his melancholy. "I wanted to tell you in my own way. I didn't think- I didn't think you'd remember. I didn't think you _could _remember after all that I've done. I thought you would sub consciously block it out." Klaus said sadly. Caroline shook her head slowly, as she backed away from him unconsciously.

"How- how could you mess with my mind like this? It's sick, Klaus. What? I don't like you, so you make up memories and put them in my head?" She asked disgustedly.

_You know he's not, _her bitch of a conscience prodded unhelpfully.

_Shut up._

Klaus advanced towards her eagerly. "You think I would make this up? Caroline, this is real. It happened. You don't remember everything. It's like being compelled, it comes back in fragments. Some things can trigger it." He says desperately, needing her to understand. Caroline holds a hand up.

"But I don't remember anything. I just- I- I feel things." She mumbles, blushing slightly. She looked at him steadily. "I died, didn't I?" she whispers quietly. "I know I did. I felt-I felt the bullet," her voice quivered. His silence was all the answer she needed. Her gaze turns sharp and her eyes burn into him like lasers. "You can stop now. This is wrong and you know it." She said forcefully, shoving past him. He gripped onto her wrist.

"I can't let you leave. Not like this. You have to know," He says fiercely, and pulls her towards him.

"What are you doing?" She hisses at him.

"Showing you." Klaus said simply. Then he leaned forward and grabbed her hands. Everything went dark for a moment, and the silence was deafening. All she heard was both of their lack of breathing.

Everything burst into colour then: They were in a bar, filled with people. There was Klaus, at a booth with Rebekah and some humans. She guessed this was before they met Stefan, as her former mentor was nowhere to be seen. There was someone on stage and just coming off. People were dancing and the band was in full swing. It was loud, with an ambience of sophisticated airs, there were no ruffians here. And there she was, stepping out in a purple diamond covered dress, moving gracefully onto the stage. This version of her oozed confidence, and Caroline envied her. When she started singing everything stopped. The talking died away like snow does in the spring, slowly; then all at once. This creature sang the song like she was making love to it, and everyone in the room was captivated. This imposter of hers eyes flickered open, and they locked with someone on the far side of the room. Caroline followed her line of sight to-

Caroline realized with a jolt it was Klaus. Oh my God, she was practically eye fucking KLAUS!

_Not much different to what you were doing awhile ago, _her voice sings songed to her.

_I hate you. Why are you so annoying?_

_I'm you. Do you really have to answer that question?_

Ugh. This sucks. What the hell? Klaus? Really? Didn't this version of her have better taste? Or, you know, common sense?

This version of her serenaded and crooned her way through the song, her voice harmonizing perfectly with the piano. The whole time, the people that Klaus was with were always looking at him, and he was always looking at her.

The next memory was later, was Nik was hanging round the bar. It was practically empty, bar a few late going stragglers left. "What did you think?" Her tinkling voice asked playfully from the piano, where she was sitting on it. Klaus smirked at her as he approached. "I think it was perfect." He said honestly. "I think you're perfect." impostor Caroline smiled softly and leaned into other Klaus. She guessed he went by Nik then. "But," he said as he slid her off the piano, "one thing I do hate when you sing is that I can't be up dancing with you." He says simply. One of his hands slid to her waist and the other slipped into hers. "So let's dance." He grinned, and she grinned back.

"What, here? But there's no music, Nik."

"Well, you have a good imagination, love." Nik said softly, and they started swaying along to a beat that the two of them obviously had down. They'd been dance partners for a long time; that much was obvious. Caroline was mesmerized by the pair, but when he dipped her, she turned her head away. Klaus was standing beside her, smiling sadly at the pair. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. When the couple went to kiss, Caroline panicked. No way in hell was this happening! She managed to break out of the dream the moment she heard a gunshot. She wrenched her hand from Klaus'. They jolted back to the present day, and Caroline's eyes snapped open. Klaus stepped towards her, and she took two steps back. "Don't. Just, don't," said Caroline shakily. "How-" Caroline swallowed. "How come I don't remember any of this?" She asked, swallowing hard. Klaus looked at her with pitiful eyes. "The 1920's: the decade of glamour and decadence. It was decade I watched you die for the second time." He said bitterly.

Caroline stumbled back as the air was knocked out of her. "What?" She squeaked.

"It's a curse, Caroline." Klaus said with his eyes filled with self hatred and self contempt. "It is a curse that falls on the original hybrid. The person I truly love, I'm forced to watch die over and over again. I'm a coward. Because even though I love you, I can't stay away." He spat out, his eyes darkening.

For a second Caroline was ironically reminded of a Taylor Swift song where she sang about how it was a twist of fate and stuff. Then she remembered that the song was about high school romance ending, and the similarities ended. "But- I don't- no. This is- this is ridiculous. It's not possible. Tatia-" She sputtered.

Klaus chuckled humourlessly. "It wasn't love. It was silly infatuation." His words echoed his own from earlier. "I don't understand. Why?" Caroline whispered, hugging her arms to her chest. She felt so small at this moment, like nothing was solid. That everything she knew was a lie.

"I thought- the first time was 1864. I didn't know about the curse, nor did Elijah. The second time around- we weren't expecting it. I thought I could stay away from you, because it was some cruel trick- that it wouldn't be the same person I once loved- but it was. And you crept up on me." A ghost of a smile passes over Klaus' face. "And now, I thought things might be different. You were never a vampire before, so I thought-"

"Wait." Caroline said in a strangled voice. "So you were going to come into town, which made Katherine turn me. I turned into a vampire because you wanted to _be with me?" _Caroline asked, astonished. "Well, no." Klaus said uncomfortably. "I wouldn't put it like that." He finished feebly.

"Then what freaking way WOULD you put it?" She yelled.

"I didn't want to see you die again, alright?" He roared back at her. "I watched you die in front of me twice. Twice, Caroline. I couldn't stand to watch you die again. I did what I had to do to keep you safe, okay?"

"No, it's not okay! It wasn't your choice to make!" She screamed, frustrated. "When were you going to tell me? Were you even going to tell me?" She asked in a much quieter voice, one that was seeped through with hurt. "I- I don't know." He answered honestly. "I wasn't sure if I'd even get close enough to you in time." _Before you died again. _That unspoken ending to his sentence hung in the air between them.

"Then why did you do everything you did to Elena? To Jenna? To Tyler? To Mystic Falls in general?" She queried.

"Because I needed you to hate me." He said in that self depreciating way of his.

_He's such a freaking martyr._

"I wasn't going to get close to you, Caroline. I swore I wouldn't when I found out you were friends with the doppelganger. I swore I would make you hate me, so that it was impossible for us to be together. I told Tyler to kill you to see if I'd stopped caring. If I'd finally gotten over you. But when I found out you were actually dying- I couldn't do it. I couldn't go through with it. I tried to save you by staying away, but you were dying anyway." He smiled sadly, his eyes searching her face. Caroline shook her head slowly, her eyes burning with hot tears.

"This is crazy. Like, really crazy."

"I know."

"And- I'm with Tyler." She protested.

"I don't care." He said simply.

"I can't do this." She said, and it made his un-beating heart stop.

"What?" He was giving her that look that tugged at her heart.

"I can't," She swallowed hard, avoiding looking into his eyes. Because they said all the things he never would.

_Please don't leave me._

"I'm sorry." She said, backing away from him, closer to the door leading out into the night.

_I need you._

_Please stay._

_I've waited nearly a century for you to come back to me._

_You_

_said_

_you'd_

_come_

_back_

_to_

_me._

Klaus watched her leave, and swallowed his regret.

_He held on to her hand as he tried to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. "I love you, Nik." She said feebly and brushed her other hand through his hair."I love you, angel. I love you so much, you know that." Nik replied, feeling tears start to well in his eyes. _

"_Don't forget me, okay?" She asked tiredly, her throat choking on blood. _

"_I won't. You know I won't." He says, rocking her back and forth on his lap. _

_Caroline smiled at him, even though she was dying she was trying to make it better. "It's okay, Nik. We'll be together again." She chokes out, and then she's still. Her hand slips from his and stills. Rebekah appeared from round a corner into the alleyway. "What's going on? I heard a gunshot and came back-oh Nik."She bursts out sadly. Rebekah knows full well what happened. It's what always happens, isn't it? The bitch dies and her poor brother is left broken. _

"_She's dead." He says flatly. Rebekah approaches him slowly, sinking to her knees on the ground beside him. "Nik-"_

"_She's dead, Bekah. I've lost her again." Nik blinks back the tears as he clutches onto Caroline's body. _

"_Oh Nik." Rebekah whispered as she lurched forward and hugged her brother, cradling him to her. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Caroline, please forgive me I'M SORRY!" He babbled on as he struggled against his sister. _

Because the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now.

**AN: The Taylor Swift song is 'the story of us' as is the very last line. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! This is the final chapter to the story of us. For the record, I'm from Northern Ireland and we don't have batting ranges or anything like it. So if my information is wrong, I'm sorry but all I could do was check the internet and it's not really reliable. And also, I'm using my creative license and letting Rebekah be at the dance. Poor Bekah never gets to go to her dances and I felt bad for her and she BEGGED me, so I let her go. :p Oh, and there is no Jamie in this story. He doesn't exist, sorry guys! I know I put in a lot of random quotes and lyrics but I think they go well with the scene that comes afterwards! So just bare with me, I'm a quotation addict. Some of them are cheesy, but they fit. I'll put beside it the name of the song or the author or the person that said it in case any of you are like me. I'm serious I have a 106 page document full of quotes I've been collecting since I was like 10 and I started a notebook to keep them in. I'm sorry you guys don't want to hear me ramble! Anyway, it took so long because I had started it and lost inspiration, but I did want to finish it. But the weekend of the 22-24****th**** of June I went to Birmingham to attend Insurgence4, a vampire diaries convention! Claire, Nate, Ian, Paul, Steven and Malese were there so hearing Claire and Nate talk about their characters really gave me inspiration and the push I needed so I just needed to finish school and then I've been writing ever since! This chapter is pretty long so I hope you guys love the story. I love to hear what you guys think, so review or message me! **

**I would also like to dedicate this to Catherina1996. Kate, babe, I honestly couldn't have done it without you! You have helped me with this so much and listened to me ramble on endlessly. Here's to many more conversations, face times and I wish you all the Joseph Morgan in the world. I hope you like this chapter. ;P(*cough* you better or I'll cry!)**

Caroline quickly texted Bonnie, telling her she wasn't feeling great so she had gone home. Bonnie seemed to believe her, and if she didn't, she didn't call her out on it. It seems they were all keeping secrets from each other these days. And this is just another one to add to the pile. She slipped out of her costume, and put on some sweats, it was a whole lot more comfortable. Crazy crazy crazy crazy was what her head was screaming at her. What the freaking hell, is another thing.

_You shouldn't have left, _her conscience whispered to her sadly.

I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW.

Caroline groaned and she dropped onto her bed dramatically. It terrified her, petrified her, and made her want to cry. But it explained so much. It explained _everything. _She wanted to cry. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to call Bonnie. She wanted to forget. She wanted to remember.

She wanted to talk to Klaus.

"Come on, Caroline! Stop _wanting_ and just, just, just-go to sleep." she muttered to herself.

_Coward. _

Just do me a freaking favour and shut the hell up. Please.

_Cry me a river. _

Jeez you are annoying.

Caroline shot upright in her bed. That's _it! _She thought excitedly. She scrambled out of her bed and out the door, grabbing her car keys on the way as she slammed her front door closed. If she timed it right, Klaus would still be at the party, Rebekah would make him stay. If she timed it just right, she could do it. She could break into his house, and grab what she needed.

Cause she's gone  
And I'm picking up the pieces  
I watch you cry  
But you don't see that I'm the one by your side  
Cause she's gone,  
In her shadow is it me you see?  
Cause all that's left is you and I  
And I'm picking up the pieces  
She left behind.-Picking up the pieces

As she pulled up outside of the Mikaelson house, she was beginning to regret her so called genius idea. But she was Caroline freaking Forbes, and she didn't back out. She stayed still and listened, but there was no sound of anyone else. Satisfied, she got out of her car and slipped in an open window. She didn't know why his hybrids weren't stopping her; they were bound to be around there somewhere. Caroline landed softly, and took in her surroundings. Where was she, exactly? She'd only been to his house once before at the ball. He'd gave her a brief tour, so all she had to do was find something to let her know where she was-

"I thought I might find you here." Caroline squeaked at the sudden voice and the bright light from the hallway that invaded the darkness. At first she thought it was Klaus, but when her eyes finally adjusted to the bright light and she realized that the voice came from the one and only evil slut vampire. "_Rebekah?" _Caroline said, surprised.

"Don't look so surprised, Caroline. I do live here." Rebekah strode towards her, her silvery dress glistening from the moonlight streaming in the window. Caroline couldn't help it, she flinched. It was an instinctual reaction with her; the original had twisted her spine after all. "I'm not going to attack you. I came to find you and give you this." Rebekah handed a piece of paper to her. Caroline stared at it. "What is this?" She asked, staring at the numbers on the page. Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"It's an address, obviously." Caroline shook her head, confused. "For God's sake Caroline, it's his address. I figured you'd want to ask him some questions." Rebekah explained as she sat gracefully down on a chair. "Because you aren't asking me any." She added scornfully, examining her nails. Caroline laughed nervously. "I never knew why you hated me. Now I get it." Rebekah scoffed.

"Don't flatter yourself. Hate requires feeling something. And I feel nothing for you."

Caroline stepped forward. "No, I get it now. You hate me," she insisted. "You hate me because I hurt Klaus." Everything made a lot more sense now, about Rebekah. The girl had always hated her and Caroline could never tell why. Now she realized why Rebekah hated her so much, she had hurt her brother. And if anything, Rebekah was fiercely protective of her brothers. Rebekah glared at her, not saying anything. "I'm sorry, Rebekah." Caroline said gently. "I'm sorry I hurt him." Rebekah closed her eyes. "You didn't just hurt him. You destroyed him. Everything good about my brother would be gone after you died. And it wouldn't come back until you did." Caroline picked silent at a thread on her sweater that had come loose.

"It was worse the last time. He got colder. Desperate. He stopped caring about anything but the doppelganger. It was horrible. I would look at him, and he wasn't my brother. I didn't even know who he was any more. And now you are back." Rebekah opened her eyes and stared at Caroline, staring into her very soul. "So choose wisely, Caroline. By all means, talk to him, I'll come up with some excuse to feed to your mother," she motioned to the slip of paper. "Talk to me. Find out what you can. But you need to remember. You need to remember that you loved him before. But if you break his heart again, you'd better stay dead. There's only so much hurt a person can take, Caroline. Even my brother." Rebekah finished and stood. "And if you choose Nik, we are having some bonding time. I guess I'll have to learn to deal with you." She concedes.

Caroline gives her a watery smile. "If that happens, I'm going to have to learn to not call you an evil slut vampire."

"It's a deal then." Rebekah gave her a nod. "You're going out the way you came in." She said haughtily, not wanting this to get mushy. Caroline rolled her eyes. "Bitch." She walked towards the window, and was half out it when Rebekah called out, "This doesn't mean I like you."

"I didn't think it did." Caroline smirked slightly, and then slipped out the window, leaving Rebekah, Klaus' house and her haunting words behind her. _"Remember that you loved him before."_

XxX

"Ah, Miss Forbes," the man said as he opened his front door and approached her. He smiled politely and extended his arm to her. "Follow me." he said, and she hesitated.

"how did you know I was-"

"coming to visit? Well, you and I aren't exactly acquaintances, so you wouldn't be driving one hundred miles to have tea. Plus judging by the bags under your eyes and your outfit choice," Caroline bristled and glanced down at her sweats, "you were in a hurry to get here. So, call it a hunch if you will, you know." He said simply. Caroline stared at him in silence.

"Rebekah told you, didn't she?"she asked finally, and he appraised her with a slight smile.

"She might have mentioned it. Now, please come in." without hesitation, she took his arm and let him led her into the house.

XxX

"She went _where?" _an angry Bonnie exclaimed. Kol rolled his eyes at the witch who was burning a hole in Niklaus' precious mahogany floorboards with all her pacing. "Calm down, witchy. Don't get your knickers in a twist." Bonnie scoffed at him. "You'd have to take them off to do that." he muttered, and the scoff quickly turned into a dark scowl. "Just do me a favour, Kol, and shut the fuck up for a second." Bonnie snapped at him, and he grinned from his position on the sofa, nursing a Coke. "Come on, loosen up." The witch had proved entertaining over the last few days, and she was something to keep him from losing his mind out of boredom, anyway. She flopped down next to him, defeated. She stole his coke and said "there better be vodka in this." Kol rolled his eyes and she took a swig. "I don't get it, why didn't she tell me she was leaving? I feel like I'm the last to know. EVERYTHING." Her voice was seeped through with hurt, and it was making Kol uncomfortable. She sighed, and her eyes widened.

"Oh, God. Oh I've turned into Elena!" She moaned and sank further back into her seat, until she had nearly slithered to the ground. Kol sighed and pulled her up, dragging himself up too. He had been planning on staying in all day and watching some bizarre show called 'keeping up with the Kardashians,' but it looked like that wasn't happening.

"Come on." He said, and Bonnie yanked her arm back in surprise; and he released her without hesitation. He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm not going to take you out into the woods to murder you or have my wicked way with you, Bonnie." He said and she reddened.

"Where are we going?"

"Out. I'm bored, you're bored, so let's be bored together." He said and grabbed Klaus' car keys. "You have to drive."

"But I don't know where we're going." Bonnie said desperately. The idea of spending time with Kol was horrifying, but also kind of exciting. And she had been hanging out around his house the past couple of days, bugging him about where Caroline was. She asked Klaus once and, well, she wasn't likely to make that mistake again the way he'd reacted. Then she'd asked Rebekah, who had point blank ignored her and then snapped one day and caught her wrist.

"_If you want what's best for Caroline you need to leave her be. This is her mess to sort out and if she needs to go deal with it then let her. And stop whining about it, it's pathetic." Rebekah hissed and then stormed out of the room._

That had left Kol, who at the very least indulged her and humoured her. "I'll show you how to get there."

"Kol," she hesitated.

"Bonnie," he mocked, and then his face turned serious. "I swear that I am not going to kill you. Surprisingly, you haven't been bad company these past few days. So just follow me."

"How do I know that you aren't going to kill me then hide my body where it won't ever be found?" She asked half heartedly, and he knew she'd already caved.

"Have a little faith, Bonnie. Your judgement hurts more than any dagger ever could." He held up his hand to his heart, mock hurt. She snorted and rolled her eyes, but snatched the keys off of him anyway, and they walked out the door.

XxX

If you'd have told Caroline three weeks ago that she'd be awkwardly sitting in Elijah Mikaelson's house drinking tea out of a surprisingly dainty set, she would have laughed. But here she was, determined to get answers. "So," Elijah said, glancing at her from over his mug, "you know."

Caroline swallowed. "Yes." She said, her voice sounding croaky to her own ears. "I know about the curse."

"Miss Forbes-"

"Caroline," she corrected.

"Caroline, I'm not entirely sure why you're here. Or what you expect me to do." He said bluntly.

"I want answers."

"They may not be the answers you want to hear." Elijah said to her pointedly. Caroline sighed and smiled tightly at him. "Elijah, I just found out that I keep re-incarnating and dying and I have past lives I don't know about. I don't honestly think that there is anything else that will shock me anymore. So I am asking you, as a friend, to please help me."

Elijah raised an eye brow at her. "You are so quick to assume that we were friends in 1864."

Caroline shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean as my friend _now. _We could be friends, Elijah." She said earnestly. Elijah watched her for awhile, making her uncomfortable. She waited, but he didn't say anything. "Thank you, for the tea." She said and stood up, setting her empty cup and saucer down on the small coffee table. She heard Elijah sigh. "Carolina." Caroline snapped around to face him. He was pinching the bridge between his nose as if she was giving him a migraine. "Excuse me?"

"Carolina."

"Sooo is that where I lived?" Caroline prompted, hoping he would give her more to go on.

"No. It was your name. Carolina Perdoux. You were French, living in a small city that doesn't exist anymore, and hasn't for quite some time." Elijah stood up and disappeared into another room, and Caroline craned her neck to see. He returned and she sat forward in her seat eagerly. Elijah held a small box in his hands, and he joined her on the sofa she was perched on. "My brother, Rebekah and I were only supposed to be passing through, but that was a year before. We decided to stay for awhile, and settle down. Klaus and I became Lords, and Rebekah a Lady. We built a home, and all was calm. Niklaus was still searching for the doppelganger, but the trail had gone cold after Katherina so he wasn't as obsessed."

He opened up the box and handed it over to her with a nostalgic smile. "It was Niklaus' birthday celebration. You were engaged. To a young rich boy, an aristocrat. To a werewolf; of all ironies. You weren't aware of Phillip's...illness, then. You simply believed that your fiancée left on a trip once a month with his family. The fact that it was at a full moon each time didn't seem to concern you. You were from a rich, well to do family in the town, so you were invited. You came with your sister, Madeline."

"I had a sister?" Caroline asked softly. She brushed her fingers over a picture in the box. It was unmistakable her, in a large green puffy dress, not unlike the shape of her Miss Mystic dress. Beside her was a similar looking girl, but she was slightly shorter, and with hazel coloured hair and dark grey eyes. They both had their arms around each other and were smiling. Elijah's smiled disappeared from his face.

"Yes, yes you did." His expression darkened. "But more about her later."

"Madeline was your older sister who was friends with Rebekah. You weren't exactly as found of my sister as she was." He moved the picture over. "She had a certain...fascination while Niklaus. She was of marrying age, and she was as stubborn as you can be. He wasn't ignorant to her affections, but he had no interest in returning them. So you decided to take matters into your own hands." Elijah held out his hand. "May I?" Caroline slipped her hand into his, and they were transported back.

_Carolina swept over to where Niklaus was standing, talking to some other men. She curtsied slightly. "Lord Elijah." She turned to Klaus. "Lord Niklaus, I wish you a happy birthday. Perhaps you would like to accompany me on a walk?" Surprised by her blunt question, Niklaus agreed. _

"_I suppose it is rude to leave a lady waiting, Miss Perdoux." _

_Carolina easy smile quickly turned cold. "Really? Then you seem to take to different methods of wooing when it comes to my sister."_

"_I assure you that I am not trying to woo anyone, Miss Perdoux." Klaus said, amused._

"_Well your ministrations suggest otherwise. Just stop playing my sister for a fool, my Lord. It is not welcomed or appreciated that you keep breaking her heart." Carolina said calmly, but Elijah sensed that she was boiling with anger. Niklaus could see a storm brewing in her pretty blue eyes. "I have no intentions of breaking anyone's heart I can tell you that now." _

"_Well, you do break hearts." Carolina smiled icily at him. "And some day yours will be broken Lord Niklaus. I only hope that I am there to witness it." She spat, turned and flounced back to a group of her friends. Elijah thought his brother would have no qualms about snapping the girls neck for making such accusations, but instead he was watching Carolina with wonder, amusement and the intensity he usually saved for this related to the doppelganger or the sun and moon curse. _

"My brother is known for many things. His determination to get what he wants is one of them. And he wanted you, Caroline. And he was going to have to. It didn't matter that you were engaged, or that you despised him. You fascinated him, and that was all that mattered." Caroline looked at the next photo, which showed her and Klaus in a picture together. "How did you manage to hold me down for that one?" Caroline asked quietly. Elijah smiled amusedly at her.

"We didn't have to hold you down at all. It seemed that, what is the saying 'love and hate in equal measures,' applied to you and my brother. Apparently it still does."

_When he kisses you he isn't doing anything else. You're his whole universe and the moment is eternal because he doesn't have any plans and isn't going anywhere. Just kissing you...it's overwhelming._ –** Anonymous **

"_We shouldn't do this," Carolina gasped as she stumbled back into the barn._

"_Why?" her partner queried as he backed her up into a wooden beam. _

"_Someone will see," she giggled and tugged on his hair. He put a finger to her lips. _

"_Then we'll have to be very quiet." His mouth replaced his finger, covering hers with his own. His hands went to her hips, bunching up the fabric of her dress. "Nik, we can't. I'm engaged," she gasped, but her actions contradicted her words. She grabbed at his shirt and clawed at his back, forcing the shirt up over his head. "I don't care." He growled and pressed his lips harshly against hers. He spun her so her back was against his chest. He placed his hands on either side of her head. "If you can honestly say you feel nothing for me, you can leave right now and we'll forget this ever happened." I'll make you forget, he said silently. But Carolina was always full of surprises. She took his large hands in hers and dragged them to her neck, and down her throat. She let his hands rest on her pounding heart. _

"_It's yours," she whispered. Carolina guided his hands down her breasts, gliding them across her stomach and settling them on her hips. "Take it." She said breathlessly, and that was all the encouragement Nik needed. He guided her over to a pile of soft hay, secluded from the outside world. He fumbled with her dress with shaking hands, getting impatient. He had taken plenty of girls before, but this was different, it was Carolina. She was different somehow. A beacon of light in his dark world. While they were getting dressed after their moment of bliss, a horrified crying Madeline was standing at the doorway. She started numbly at her sister and the man she thought she loved. _

_Klaus kissed Carolina lightly. "Run away with me," He murmured. "We can leave, together. Tonight. You won't ever have to go back to Phillip again." Carolina's eyes widened, and she smiled. _

"_I'll run with you. I'd run anywhere with you." She laughed happily, and kissed him deeply. "Tonight. Meet me at the edge of the woods." _

"_I'll be there." Nik murmured._

_Carolina leaned into his ear. "I love you," she whispered and pulled back. "And I will love you until the end of time." Then she fled from the barn, quickly exiting._

Now I'm breaking at the seams  
Dropping to my knees  
Nothing left of me, no

Like stone turned into dust  
My heart wasn't enough  
So far from where I used to be.-Lawson, When she was mine

Klaus let his fingers drift across a portrait of Caroline, Carolina, as she had been then. It had been taken one or two days before she'd died, the day they had planned to run away. For days Bonnie had been lurking around his home whining at Kol. For days Rebekah had been skirting off not-so-secretly meeting that Bus boy Matt. For days Kol had not been a pain in the ass and had tried to be _understanding. _For days Caroline had been gone. And for days Klaus would not leave his room. Klaus' fingers tightened on the picture, but he quickly smoothed it out again. He groaned and ran his hands through his hair, and glared at his phone which remained steadfastly silent. No calls, no texts, no secret messages, nothing. Not that he expected her too. He knew she'd react. It was too soon too soon too soon. She wasn't ready, she didn't remember enough. She didn't break down the barriers to how she used to feel.

So here he was, nursing a bottle of some alcohol-he didn't know what it was, he was taking the bottle nearest to him each time- and tearing through memories and photos, and trying to drink away the memory of the girl who would never be truly his.

Of course, she was never really his in the first place. She was hiding something then, something dark, twisted. It was hurting her, it was like she was stuck in a bird cage and couldn't get out. And Klaus thought he would be the one to free her. What a fool he was.

Cause when you've given up.  
When no matter what you do it's never good enough.  
When you never thought that it could ever get this tough,  
Thats when you feel my kind of love.

And when you're crying out.  
When you fall and then can't pick, you're heavy on the ground  
When the friends you thought you had haven't stuck around.  
That's when you feel my kind of love.-Emelie Sande My kind of love

_She ran until she was out of breath, her sides aching from lack of oxygen and what was possibly a broken rib. Or three. She was bleeding and she could hardly see through the tears that were clouding her vision, and she wiped at the stubborn drops. _

_She would not cry, she told herself. She would not give him that satisfaction. Carolina couldn't even see where she was going, but she didn't dare stop. She didn't know if he was chasing her or not. She screamed as she ran into something, a solid chest. Fearing it was _him _she stumbled away. "Miss Perdoux. Miss Perdoux! Stop! I intend you no harm." A silky voice stated. Carolina straightened up, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "My apologises, Lord Niklaus," she said stiffly. _

"_What happened to you?" he asked softly as he approached her. _

"_Absolutely nothing, my Lord. I apologise if I startled you."_

"_You are bleeding, that is not nothing!" He pulled her in for closer inspection. The blood would have made him uncomfortable under normal circumstances. The girl would already be dead, drained of blood. But there was something about the girl that entertained him. "And you have been crying. Come, you are far away from your home. At least let me offer you a room for the night." Elijah would chastise him if he didn't keep good manners and etiquette. Plus, it wasn't safe for her to be roaming the streets at night. _

"_I'll have to decline your offer, Niklaus. Now, you can go on your way, picking up whores and what not." She said haughtily. Niklaus gritted his teeth. She was infuriating. Before she could move, Niklaus pulled her up into his arms and hoisted her up over his shoulder. The movement jostled her and she cried out softly, then bit her lip to distract from the pain of her ribs. _

_He started walking quickly to his home, his jaw set like steel. "What are you doing?" she cried out indignantly. "Put me down this instant. Niklaus! Are you listening? _Put me down!" _Eventually she slumped against him in defeat as he carried her up to his home. They arrived at his home an unlikely pair. One look at their master's face sent the help scuttling away in the opposite direction. He carried her up to his bedroom and settled her on the bed gently, where she glared at him icily. He left the room to find something to clean her wounds, and made it to the corner of the hallway where he was met by a scullery maid. She silently handed him a clean cloth, and a bowl of warm water and herb concoction. "They will help clean her wounds, sir." She said quietly, not meeting his eyes. _

_Niklaus gave her a brief nod of his head and she scurried back down the stairs. Surprised at the girls actions, he turned and went back to his chamber. Carolina still sat primly on the bed, glaring at him. Well, some things never changed. He pulled her up and swiftly started patting her down gently, taking note of her injuries. She had a wound just above her eyebrow, and a cut lip. Carolina gritted her teeth when he reached her ribs, flinching from the pain. Niklaus glanced at her. "May I?" he asked in a polite, detached tone. She nodded and furrowed her brow._

"_Just do it," she replied and he swiftly detached all the layers of dress until she was in her under garments. Her face was beetroot read, yet she didn't know why. He was being so professional and detached about it she could be wearing nothing and he would have been as disinterested as he was now. His cool fingers slipped to her side and gently pressed on it. "Does this hurt?" he asks. _

"_Yes," she hisses back at him, angry tears welling in her eyes. He studies her side then rises to his full height. "It is a deep bruise. They aren't broken, which is fortunate."Although it's clear that it is any but. Niklaus felt a surge of anger on the behalf of this woman before him. No one deserved to be treated like this. He tells her to sit down and she obediently does. He kneels beside her, and dips the cloth into the concoction the scullery maid gave him. He presses it to the cut above her eyebrow and she flinches. _

"_That stings." She mutters and tries to squirm away. Niklaus scowls at her. _

"_Well it won't sting so much if you stopped moving!" he snapped. She merely grits her teeth and stays silent, but she stops moving. "So," he presses finally. "Who did this? Did your insults finally drive some petty girl to attack you? One of the Fells, perhaps."_

_Carolina scowled at him and shook her head violently. "He didn't mean to-"_

"_Ah, so it was a he." He said angrily, his jaw set like steel. His hands clenched into fists, and she eyed them fearfully. Breathing hard, he unclenched them, albeit with difficultly. He could feel his rage boiling over, ready to explode. "He was intoxicated."_

"_Who?"_

"_He didn't know what he was doing-" she stammered._

"_Who, Carolina?" Niklaus demanded. Her lip trembled._

"_Phillip."_

_Niklaus was silent for a moment. "I'll kill him," he said simply. Wiping a tear from her eye, Carolina said "you can't." _

"_Give me one reason not to rip him from limb to limb," he ground out. She stood up and smiled a small smile, and wiped her eyes. "Because I say so," she said haughtily. He barked out a laugh. _

"_Why do you think men will bend over backwards to do as you please?" _

_Carolina shrugged. "Because a man has yet to prove me wrong."_

"_Maybe I will."_

"_You won't. You haven't yet."_

_Niklaus approached her so they were toe to toe, but she didn't flinch or move away. "Pray tell, what does that mean?" he asked lazily._

"_You stopped playing with my sisters heart and started playing with mine," she whispered. Niklaus shifted on his feet. He grinned wolfishly. "Well, Miss Perdoux, you haven't been discouraging me. So this advances are hardly one sided."_

_Carolina stared at him for what seemed like a century. He seemed so different when they were alone. He was always so cruel and cold around others. But he was different, softer, kinder, around her. "It isn't one sided." She says evenly and for a second he looked torn._

"_Carolina," he said slowly. "I'm going to ask you something." Carolina sucked in a breath, staring into his moss green eyes. "May I kiss you?" he asked softly, watching her reaction._

_Carolina twined her arms around his neck. "When does Lord Niklaus ever ask for something he wants?" She asked breathlessly. Niklaus smirked and leaned forward and put his lips on hers._

XxX

"How did I die, Elijah?" Caroline asked, curious. Elijah sighed.

"Your sister, Madeline, was madly infatuated with Niklaus. When she found out about Niklaus and yourself, she went mad. She felt hurt and betrayed by her sister and the man who she wasn't even courting. In a fit of jealously, she told Phillip, your fiancé, what she had seen. He was a violent, cruel man to you anyway. The fact you had been unfaithful to him only enhanced those qualities. The full moon was the night you and Niklaus were to run away. Phillip was a werewolf, and well, you know the rest."

XxX

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. –Barack Obama

"Where are we, Kol?" Bonnie asks as she leaned over the dash of her parked car. "I have no clue what this is." She got out of the car and Kol followed.

"You'll find out soon enough. Come on." He started walking and their destination finally came into view. "A batting range?" Bonnie laughed a quick, short, you've-got-to-be-kidding-me laugh.

"Yup." Kol wheeled around and grinned at her. "When I was in Denver I...hung out there at one a lot. It was fun, so I thought I'd try to find one here. There wasn't, so I built one." He shrugged, and Bonnie ogled him. First the things 'Kol' and 'fun' didn't really go together. It was like saying Cruella de Vil had a litter of warm, fuzzy kittens at home. And then her brain caught the second piece of information. "Wait," she said slowly, running a hand over part of the chain link fence to the cool steel door frame. "You...built this? Like, yourself?"

Kol laughed. "Don't look so surprised, Bonnie. I have a lot of time. I don't understand why Rebekah went back to school. I mean, there is so much more we could be doing. Stefan, Rebekah, I don't understand why they keep doing it." Bonnie shrugged.

"I guess they want to feel normal. I mean, a lot goes on with us. We need some normality."

"Who needs normality," Kol mumbled. "Besides," he picked up, "_this _is my normality. You seem like you are a girl with rage. Channel it."

"I do," Bonnie answered automatically. "I channel it into my magic."

Kol shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I mean channel your rage physically. Try something new, Bonnie! Just _do _something without worrying about the repercussions."

"Like you?" She asks, with an eyebrow raised. "That's your excuse, though, isn't it?" She said dryly.

Kol shrugged and swung his bat lightly. "I'm going to live forever, Bonnie. I can't be hurt, I can only be killed by one thing. What's the point in living eternity in fear?"

Bonnie realised this is probably the closest anyone has to seeing why Kol is the way he is and why he does the things he does. And the thing is she is understanding his logic.

Bonnie slowly walks inside the batting range. She hefted up an aluminium bat. "Sometimes I feel like Elena's only keeping me around because they need my magic." She whispered, and swung the bat up. "I feel like I'm-I'm on the sidelines until one of Stefan, Damon or Elena's _shitty_ plans goes to hell and they need me to clean up their messes." She said with hints of disgust in her tone.

"They shouldn't." Kol said, surprising both of them. "You aren't on the sidelines, Bonnie. You're a front runner. If they only use you for your magic, maybe they aren't your friends." Bonnie sniffed, and rolled her shoulders. "You gonna load that thing up or what?" she asked, gesturing to the pitching machine. Kol smirked and set the machine to go, and balls fired at Bonnie. She squealed and made a half hearted attempt at hitting it, but didn't get the momentum right. This went on for a few rounds until Kol stepped in. "Hold it, hold it." He sidled up next to her and stood behind her. "Feet apart," he said and nudged her feet with his until she moved them apart. "Arms loose. You don't want to be tense. Relax the shoulders." His hands came to her shoulders, rubbing them until they stopped tensing.

"Pull your arm back," he breathed at in her ear and she did. "And...hit!" He pressed play on the machine and zoomed to the other side. Bonnie yelped and swung the bat, hitting the ball. "That's it!" he yelled. "Get angry! Think of all the people that walk over you! Get mean, Bonnie! Get angry!" Bonnie screamed and swung harder, hitting the balls harder and harder and further and further. "They are all fucking douche lords!" she screamed and laughed, and swung harder, hitting it out of the park. She jumped up and down and threw the bat away, laughing. "And she hits it out of the park ladies and gentlemen!" Kol bellows. "Bonnie Bennett has finally done it, and the crowd goes wild!" Kol makes 'ahhhhh' and 'woahhhh' noises while Bonnie runs around, doing a lap of honour.

"Thank you, thank you!" She laughs and nears Kol, the both of them laughing. Her foot catches on something and she falls forward, but Kol catches her, laughing. "You may have mastered baseball, but your balance needs some work." Bonnie giggled nervously and looks up at him.

"I don't want to be the witch anymore. I just want to be Bonnie." She said breathlessly.

Kol smiled slightly. "I've spent time with just Bonnie. I have to say, I kind of like her." He brushed a piece of hair out of her face and Bonnie closed her eyes as his face leaned closer to hers. When she could feel his cool minty breath on her lips, her breath hitched and he closed the gap and pressed her lips to his. He was surprisingly gentle, as if she might break. That was, until he bent double and grunted in pain, clutching his head. "What," he sputtered.

Bonnie pushed past him and stormed for the car. "Shouldn't have tried to kiss me!" she yelled back at him and flipped him off. Kol rubbed his head. "Come on, Bonnie! We were just having fun! Look- I-what do you expect me to do when you literally throw yourself on me?" He said exasperatedly.

"Go to hell, Kol."

"I'm already there, Angel."

XxX

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.  
"Which road do I take?" she asked.  
"Where do you want to go?" was his response.  
"I don't know", Alice answered.  
Then," said the cat, it doesn't matter."-Lewis Carroll

"It's not working, Elijah. I can't do it." Caroline groaned.

"Be patient, Caroline. Try again." Elijah said patiently.

"I've been _trying _for the past _two hours. _It isn't working," she ground out, frustrated.

"You are annoyed. It's understandable. But, Caroline," Elijah leaned forward. "This won't work unless you keep trying."

"I have been trying. I've tried everything. I've tried touching things that were mine, looking at photos, seeing your memories, trying to reach my memories through yours. Nothing works." She shook her head and stared at the neat pile of objects near her.

"I have a hunch." Elijah began. Caroline opened her arms wide.

"I'm all ears."

"I think you have a block." Elijah said gently. "I think you are scared of what you might find. You are terrified of finding out about you're past and the way you looked at life and the way you felt, that you are blocking it. That you aren't really trying because, well, you are scared."

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and looked at a picture of her from the 1920's. "My whole life will change," she said softly. "I won't only have my emotions and feelings. If I remember, I'll have Carolina's, and Lina's too." She gestured at the photographs of both girls. "Elijah, I can barely deal with my own emotions. What if I don't like what I feel?"

Elijah smiled sadly at her. "Caroline, you wouldn't have gained any memories had you not have already had some feelings for Niklaus. You just have to let them in," he said ruefully, "and accept them."

Caroline rose an eyebrow and said dryly, "is that what you did with Katherine?"

Elijah appraised her coolly, but she could see a patch of red growing up his neck. "I assure you I know nothing of Katherina." He said amusedly.

"Oh. I just assumed...well, Elena told me..." Caroline trailed off as there was a ruckus from the front door as someone barged through. "Okay, Elijah, what the fucking hell was _so important _that I had to leave for nearly a week..." an all too familiar voice said as she approached the living room.

"Elena?" Caroline asked confusedly. Then it dawned on her. _"Katherine?" _

"Elijah, who is that?" the footsteps sped up as Katherine sauntered into the living room. "_Caroline? _Oh, you have _got _to be kidding." She huffed when she saw Caroline.

"Katherine-" Elijah began weakly.

"What is _she _doing in our house?" Katherine demanded.

"_Your house? _But- I was just guessing! And hey-you lied to me!" Caroline accused, directing her stare to Elijah. She tried to ignore Katherine.

"I didn't think you would actually _see _her." Elijah protested.

"I can't believe you and Katherine are TOGETHER." Caroline mused. "She's such a devious slut and you're...not."

"It's nice to see you too, Blondie." Katherine said sarcastically.

"Shut up, Katherine. I'm just stating a fact." Caroline snapped. Katherine flopped down beside Elijah, practically on his lap. "What is all this, anyway?" Katherine asked and leaned over Elijah to look at the pictures. "Oh, so she knows now?" Katherine asked disinterestedly. Caroline stared at her.

"Did _everyone know but me?" _she screeched and flung herself back against the sofa dramatically.

"Someone's melodramatic." Katherine noted.

"Be nice, Katherina," Elijah chastised, and she stuck her tongue out at him. Caroline stood up.

"Well, I think this is my cue to leave." Caroline said ruefully and grabbed her car keys. "Thank you, Elijah. For everything. I don't know what to do yet but- thank you. You've helped a lot. And I think I know what to do now," she said honestly.

Elijah smiled warmly at her. He handed her a small ring from the table. "Before you go, at least take this. It was yours, I kept it for you. In case you needed it again someday." He closed Caroline's hand around it and she smiled, touched. Katherine rolled her eyes. "Now get out of my house, Blondie. Just go tell Klaus you love him already. And," she added, "a get-out-of-jail-free card for me wouldn't go wrong either."

"In your dreams, Katherine."

XxX

Yeah when my world is falling apart  
When there's no light  
To break up the dark  
That's when I, I  
I look at you

When the waves are flooding the shore  
And I can't find my way home any more  
That's when I, I  
I look at you- Miley Cyrus, I look at you

Carolina drove towards Mystic Falls, her fingers drumming on the steering wheel to the beat of the music she had blaring from the speakers of her navy Ford Fiesta. Her mom was probably freaking, but she figured that Rebekah had hopefully covered for her. Caroline wanted to laugh at the hilarity of the entire situation. Elijah, Katherine and Rebekah were her allies. They were trying to help her. Elijah, someone whom she'd never had a conversation with. Katherine who had killed her. Rebekah who, just generally hated her. Caroline eyed the ring that sat on her finger. Of course, the only finger it fitted on was her wedding ring finger. Which was funny in an ironic, bitter way. She still didn't know what to do. She felt jittery, anxious, and like she could throw up at any second. But that could just be the side effect of all the memory hopping she had done over the past five days. She didn't know what to do in the long run, but she knew exactly who to go to. Someone who'd be pissed she'd left, but would understand. Who wouldn't judge until she had heard the whole story and then would give a straight forward, no-bullshit answer.

Bonnie.

Caroline pulled up at her friend's house, slipping the brake on. She got out of the car, quickly bounding to her friends doorstep. Bonnie's bed room light was on, which meant she was home. Where else would she be at twelve O' Clock on a weeknight? Before she could ring the door bell, the door flew open. "Kol, if that's you I swear I'm going to burn your ass- CAROLINE?" Bonnie asked, stunned. Caroline gave her a watery smile. "Hi, Bon-Bon." That was all she managed before she burst into tears.

Long story short, her crying set off Bonnie, and both girls rocked towards each other in a giant bear hug. They managed to stumble into Bonnie's sitting room, where they sat down on the sofa and Caroline spilled the beans about everything in between sobs and hiccups. Bonnie clasped her hands and hugged her friend, wiping at the tears of her own eyes. "I'm sorry I left Bonnie but I just don't know what to do," she wailed. "No matter what I do I'm going to hurt someone!" she cried. Bonnie scratched her friends back in circles. "Care," Bonnie said slowly, "you know I never liked Klaus. But forget about who you might hurt for a second. What do you want? Forget about the consequences." Bonnie said and bit her lip.

Unknowingly, she'd repeated Kol's words which had been haunting her for the past day. Caroline wiped her eyes. "Bonnie," she began uncertainly. "Why did you think I was Kol? Why would Kol be coming here? Has he been bugging you?" she asked, concerned. Bonnie shook her head slowly.

"No. Well. A little. But, it's...um, well..." Bonnie trailed off, embarrassed. Caroline quickly caught on, and her mouth dropped open. "Wait. You and KOL? As in _Kol Mikaelson?" _Bonnie nodded reluctantly. "He tried to kiss me." She said distractedly.

"WHAT?" Caroline shouted. Bonnie giggled.

"Shush, Care. You'll wake the neighbours."

"Well, while I was gone you were locking lips with Kol-I'm-sexy-and-I-know-it Mikaelson!"

"I- I messed up, Care." Bonnie confessed.

"How?"

"I-I may have gave him a supernatural aneurism." Bonnie said nonchalantly. Caroline groaned. "I know, Caroline. I know." Bonnie moaned, putting her head in her hands. Caroline put her arm around her friend. "Hey, but you expected him to come round here. So he's been round here?" Bonnie nodded. "See? There's hope yet." Caroline said firmly. Bonnie sniffed.

"It's just- Jeremy hurt me. Bad. And Kol- I know he isn't good. He's so different from Jeremy but I feel like he- he understands." Bonnie stared at her hands.

"It sounds like you like him."

"I think I do." Bonnie said with a small smile. Caroline gave her a knowing smile and a look.

"Then what are you still doing here talking to me?"

Bonnie blinked. Then she shot up from the sofa, yanking on a cardigan she had hanging on the banister. "I'll be back I promise! Stay here, stay the night, I just have to- look, I'm sorry to leave you like this but we'll figure this out Care I swear-"

"Go, Bon! Just go!" Caroline urged smiling at Bonnie. "I'll hang out here."

Bonnie grabbed her car keys and paused at the door. "I have ice cream in the fridge and pretty little liars recorded on the TV."

Caroline grinned and gave her a lazy salute. "Gotcha."

Bonnie smiled gratefully and ran out the door.

XxX

You can tell your story any way you damn well please. It's your solo.-The sky is everywhere, Jandy Nelson

Kol had been slouched beside his brother on the leather couch in their living room. They were surrounded by drinks and takeouts. "What happened with you?" Klaus grunted. He was mindlessly flicking through TV channels. Kol glared at him. He took a swig of whiskey. "That bad, huh?" Kol snapped "Shut, up, brother. At least I had some progress with Bonnie," he said bitterly. Klaus glared back at him. "Go away, Kol," he groaned.

"She still hasn't called, huh?" Kol queried. Klaus grunted.

"No." He said grudgingly and added, "I don't expect her to."

"She might surprise you brother. From what I've seen, Caroline has a few tricks up her sleeve." Kol mused. Suddenly a car tore into the drive way, and screeched to a halt. Both men perked up, suddenly alert. But then the brothers realized the person had a heartbeat and Klaus sank back, disappointed. Kol gave him an apologetic look and loped towards the front door when Bonnie came bursting in. "Bonnie?" he said in surprised. She lurched towards him and planted her lips on his firmly. He stilled for a moment in shock, but his arms wrapped around her waist as hers snaked around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. She broke away, breathless.

"What was that for?" Kol exclaimed.

Bonnie grinned dazedly. "For not kissing you when I should have." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry about...before."

Kol shook his head. "I'm over it if you are."

"I'm over it."

"Good. Because you have a lot of making up to do." Kol grinned slowly. Bonnie punched him in the arm. "Don't get too cocky yet, Mikaelson," she warned.

"Cocky is my middle name."

XxX

Caroline tossed on Bonnie's bed, where she had been sleeping the past few hours. But then her dreams took a restless turn. She was in a small room in a tiny apartment that smelt like Coffee, paint and a minty scent that was coming strongly from the shirt she was wearing. It was about three sizes too big for her, and rolled up to the elbows. She strolled over to the window, and the first thing she spotted was the Fisher Building. _So I must be in Chicago, _she thought. Then she realized that the building didn't look that old. In fact, it didn't look old at all. And, come to think of it, the people she saw on the streets were dressed differently. And the cars were older too. Then she spotted a newspaper on the kitchen table and froze. She ignored her bubbling hysteria as the truth sunk in.

She was in Chicago, 1923. She slid down on to a chair beside the kitchen table. She was dreaming. She could wake up. This was _her dream. She _was in control. Then why didn't it feel like she wasn't? Then it hit her. This was a memory. This was Lina's memory. She glanced at her finger, which held the ring on it. Which meant-

"Sweetheart?" a voice queried. Lina jumped up from the chair, and launched herself at Nik's chest. Caroline gave up trying to fight for the right to her body when she remembered it wasn't her body. It was Lina's. She was merely an observer, who had no control whatsoever. So she let it wash over her, and let Lina's memories and thoughts and feelings become her own. It was the only way she'd ever find out why she loved him before. "I just had a terrible dream, Nik!" Lina exclaimed. "I was running through a forest and there were wolves chasing me and I was so scared," she gushed. Nik's arms tightened around her, and Caroline could feel a muscle in his jaw tick, but Lina didn't feel a thing. "It's alright, love. Nothing's going to get you while I'm here," he murmured.

Lina giggled. "Such a knight in shining armour, Nik," she said fondly. Caroline could feel it, what Lina felt. Nik was staring at her so intently, so warmly, with a gaze full of love. And she could feel it to, deep within her. There were butterflies in her stomach. Her breath was caught in her throat. She could hear her heart beating rapidly. Her eyes softened and her hands were shaking. Caroline could feel it, the love coursing through her body. Lina really loved him, with all her heart."Only for you, Caroline," he said in a voice that sent a shiver down her spine. Lina smiled and wound her fingers with his as he brought them up to his mouth and his lips brushed her knuckles. His lips skimmed over the ring on her right hand. "We'll have to change which hand you have this on." Nik murmured, and looked at her with a wolfish grin. It was said so softly that she didn't hear it.

Caroline had to do something. Something she knew would change her life went she got back to reality. Something that needed to be done. She needed to find out how she felt about him. She had to know. Caroline did what Lina clearly wanted to do, and kissed him. It wasn't how she thought it would be. She thought he would be dominating and controlling and forceful, but he wasn't. He was gentle and patient and it was like he would wait a millennia to kiss her again, would wait a millennia just to hold her. He would offer her the world, the sea, the sky. He would take her anywhere and do anything for her. His kiss was overwhelming. All the love, the heartbreak, the waiting, the anger, the bitterness; it moulded together to form him. And he was a perfect match for her. She heard the fireworks and the angel choirs, and the birds singing. It all happened the way it's supposed to. The way you read about in fairytales as a little girl, and hoped and prayed and begged it would happen to you. It was the promise of undying, unflinching eternal love. It was the first love that you don't even have words to describe, the moments that you just had to be there for. It was safety, it was danger. It was love that promised heartbreak. It was an earth shattering kiss from the only person that understood.

Plato once said that every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. She finally understood that quote, because when she looked at him, she saw the missing part of her.

Caroline closed her eyes and silently thanked Lina, and Carolina. Both girls had come together to make her. And she saw them in her. She saw Carolina's fiery nature and the way she won't give up or give in. She saw Lina's kindness, her forgiveness, her longing for the proper fairytale romance. Then she let go.

Caroline woke with a start in Bonnie's bed. Her friend was fast asleep beside her. She sat up slowly, careful not to wake Bonnie. Bonnie was sleeping peacefully, and she looked happy, for the first time in a long time. She smiled ruefully at her sleeping friend. Looks like everything with Kol went swimmingly. Caroline scribbled a quick note and left it on the pillow beside Bonnie, making sure the blankets were pulled up around her. Caroline crept over to the window and softly hefted it open, thinking it was her better choice against the creaky stairs and the heavy wooden front door. She put one leg out, then the other, balancing her weight. She took a final glance at Bonnie's room before she jumped from the slate roof, landing on her feet without a problem. Without a second glance at the street or the house or her car she took off with supernatural speed.

Klaus was absentmindedly flipping through drawings of his, a sketch book from years ago, one of many. It had sketches of Rebekah, Elijah. There was even a few of Kol. Mostly there were landscapes, but the best ones were the rarest, the ones of Caroline. There was a sudden breeze and a whooshing noise and a curtain blew in the wind. Klaus rose to his feet, when the cause of the chaos came to a halt a few feet away from him. Before he could say anything, she took an unhesitant step forward. "I'm starting to remember things," she said breathlessly. "Fragments, moments, memories. Feelings." Klaus felt his un-dead heart skip a beat. "I remember. And I think it's time I showed you something." She grabbed his hand and showed him her memory of that morning in Chicago. After they jolted back to reality, she smiled proudly at him.

"How did you figure out how to do that?" Klaus asked slowly. Caroline shrugged nonchalantly.

"I um, learnt a thing or two from somebody."

"Elijah." Klaus stated.

"How did you know-?" Caroline asked, and then realized, "you knew where he was all along."

Klaus nodded. Caroline's smiled faded at his grim look. "You aren't happy." Caroline felt her eyes blur up with tears but she forced them back. "No. Of course you're not. Because it's too late, isn't it?" His silence was her answer. "I waited too long. It took me too long to figure it out. I'm too late." She stumbled back as if he had shot her. He made no move towards her, so she nodded. "okay," she said monotonously. Then she turned on her heel and went out the door. She hadn't noticed when she had been heading towards the house, but it was pouring rain. Of course she'd been too intent on getting to _his_ house to notice. She walked past in normal speed, soaking up the rain. When she was a child she loved jumping and splashing in puddles and running about in the rain. But now it just seemed so _cold. _"Caroline!" a voice yelled. She didn't turn around, recognising the voice immediately. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to lose you again. I thought keeping you away would keep you safe. But I realize that keeping away from you will only hurt you more." He caught up with her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. She backed up a few steps. "I'm not a doll, Klaus. I'm not as breakable as before," she snapped. Klaus gave her a small, peace offering smile.

"I know, love. I know that now."

"Well you'll have to know that if you want me to keep loving you." She said bluntly.

Klaus gaped. "What?" he asked, sounding like he was being strangled.

"I'm saying I love you, you idiot!" she yelled and they ran towards each other. Klaus caught her in his arms and hoisted her up as he kissed her like a starving man. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I love you, I'm sorry." he repeated in between kisses. Caroline giggled into his kiss as they both kept kissing as sunrise broke over Mystic Falls.

XxX

Caroline had broken things off with Tyler. She realized that it wasn't fair and she didn't want to be another Elena, especially when she knew she loved Nik.

"Put your phone away and stop texting him!" a voice hissed.

"Well excuse me, my boyfriend doesn't live here unlike you two!" another voice shot back.

"Why did you drag me to this again?" another voice queried.

"Because I don't want to be stuck with Rebekah by myself!" Caroline explained.

"You agreed to do this, Caroline," a smug Rebekah reminded her.

"I didn't think you'd remember." Caroline mumbled.

"hey, guys!" Bonnie yelled, and both blondes snapped to attention. "None of us really want to be here. But we have to try to get along." A collective sigh was heard. "Rebekah," she ordered. "Stop texting Matt. He'll still be there tomorrow." Rebekah pouted and put her phone away. "Caroline," Bonnie sighed. "Stop picking fights. Go get the movie, I'll get the snacks."

"I'll hit the lights," Rebekah offered grudgingly. She smiled smugly at Caroline. "I was going to pick the vow, but I thought it might hit too close to home for you, Caroline. A girl forgetting her love for the man that loved her unconditionally..."

"Shut up, Rebekah." Caroline said half heartedly. "Let's just watch the movie."

Soon, all three girls were curled up in Rebekah's room on her sofa, facing the TV. There were hair curlers, nail polish bottles, magazines and makeup scattered across the floor.

"_She had come back into his life like a sudden flame; blazing and streaming into his heart. Noah stayed up all night, contemplating the certain agony he knew would be his if he were to lose her twice." _

There was a dreamy sigh that emitted from Bonnie, Caroline and Rebekah. They automatically traded bowls, Bonnie passing the popcorn to Rebekah, Rebekah passing the marshmallows to Caroline and Caroline stretching over Rebekah to give Bonnie the chocolate. There was a creak in the doorway. "Well, if this isn't the cutest thing," said a mocking voice.

"Shut up and go away, Nik." Rebekah directed at her brother, her eyes not leaving the screen. How could she, with a shirtless Ryan Gosling on it? "Nicholas Sparks. Such a stealer." Klaus murmured. Caroline inclined her head, to show she was listening. "how?" she demanded. How dare he accuse Nicholas Sparks of stealing! He was like, a writing God. "I may or may not have been extremely drunk in 1994, and spilled my guts about you to an aspiring writer who decided to steal my extremely poetic words..." he trailed off, realizing that all three girls were staring at him. "You mean," Caroline said in a surprisingly calm voice, "that Nicholas Sparks knows I exist?" Klaus considered, then nodded.

"I suppose, in a way." He said slowly. Caroline's eyes widened, and she squealed.

"HA!" She said to Bonnie. "And you always mocked me for loving it! Of course I always thought it was because Ryan Gosling looks hot-which I don't think anymore," she added hastily, seeing Klaus' glowering look. "You look much better, Nik." Caroline said brightly. Klaus rolled his eyes and strolled away.

Hours later, the Bonnie and Rebekah were fast asleep in Rebekah's bed. Caroline was lying beside them, awake. She could hear soft music coming from another room. Feeling curious, Caroline crept out of bed and snuck out the door. She followed the sound of music, and came to a very familiar room. Nik's. Caroline didn't hesitate as she opened the door, stepped through and closed it afterwards. Klaus looked up from his book. "What are you doing here, love? I thought you were sleeping." Caroline went over to him and curled up on his lap.

"I couldn't sleep," she murmured. "I still think Rebekah is going to stake me in my sleep." Klaus' arms wrapped around her, anchoring her to him. "And-I remembered this song." she admitted. Nik's eyes light up. "Really?"

Caroline nodded. "I remember this song. We- we danced to it, didn't we?" she asked hesitantly. "It was our song, wasn't it?" Nik grinned and nodded, his eyes filled with happiness. He pulled her up.

"May I have this dance, milady?" he asked, and bowed and offered his hand. Caroline giggled and took his hand. She snaked her arms around his neck, and his hands slipped around her waist. They started swaying in time to the music. Caroline put her head on his chest, content. "Will everything come back?" She asked slowly. "Will the memories come back?"

Niklaus sighed. "I don't know, love. You did start to get your memories before, once or twice. But they were when you were sleeping. You thought they were dreams-but I knew better."

"Am I going to die?" she asked quietly. Klaus' arms tightened around her.

"Well, Mother is dead. Hopefully with her being properly dead it will break the curse. No one is going to get you while I am here." He said forcefully.

Caroline smiled. "And I'm not some damsel in distress anymore. I can look after myself, mister." she said playfully.

She closed her eyes and kept her head against his chest. It was something unpredictable. But it was right. It was dysfunctional, dangerous, and at times just plain infuriating.

But she wouldn't have it any other way.

Oh I need you to know today I'll wait for you always  
Oh I need you to know today I'll wait for you always

Cause when I find you, I'll find me.-Joshua Radin, When I find you

**AN: So, guys, that is the end of the Story of us! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! So I decided to add in a little Kennett, too, because I am a shipper. Well, a couple of announcements to make!**

**Since it's summer I have a lot of free time so I will be taking requests for drabbles! Just say a pairing(preferably one I ship) and something you'd like to happen and I will try to get to all of them!**

**Also, I'm thinking of creating a youtube channel. It won't really be to do with my writing, but if you want I will do vlogs about different stories. But the main subject of this channel would be book reviews. I am a major book worm and I read A LOT and I have a lot of opinions about books. So I was just wondering if you guys would be interested in anything like that?**

**Feel free to follow .com **


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